Special Delivery
by quiet-heart
Summary: Back by popular request, Dabi Moore-Gibbs. In the beginning of Season 13, Gibbs had been shot because of the Calling. As both he and Dabi struggle to adjust to the life-changing events that shook their world, they will have to adjust even more, because there's about to be a very special delivery that will redefine their entire lives.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Supervisory Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs had been shot by Luke Harris, through Daniel Budd and the Calling. Right now, he was on the U.S.S. _Daniel_ _Webster,_ under the care of Doctor Cyril Taft.

"Move, damnit!" a female voice snarled from down the hall. "Before I punt your ass to the other end of this damn ship!"

Special Agent Tony DiNozzo looked up in tired resignation. He knew that voice. "And thar she blows," he said. He had just received a call from NCIS Director Vance, ordering him to head back, find Daniel Budd, and deal with him accordingly. It didn't surprise him in the slightest that the owner of the voice had managed to get there as fast as she had.

CIA officer Joanna Teague looked at him, eyes wide. "Who's that?" she asked.

He never got to answer, because the owner of the voice appeared, charging around the corner, a harried-looking seaman chasing after, completely unaware that she was deaf.

"Tony, where the hell is my father?" Dabi Moore-Gibbs demanded.

"In there, with Doctor Taft, undergoing surgery right now, so don't even think of going in there, kid," Tony said. "Joanna, meet Dabi Moore-Gibbs, otherwise known as the Boss's Daughter. Dabi, CIA officer Joanna Teague. She's part of the case."

"Was she there when Dad was shot?" Dabi demanded, glaring at the older woman.

"We both were, and we know who did it," Tony said, "but before you go all _Kill Bill_ on us, we've got this."

"If you had this, why the hell did it happen in the first place?" Dabi yelled, hitting Tony in the shoulder. She saw Joanna about to open her mouth and she growled, "Not a word out of your mouth, lady. I don't know you, and right now, unless you know what's happening with my dad, I don't want to know you."

Joanna's eyes went wide, but she clamped her mouth shut when Tony quickly shook his head at her. He forced Dabi to look at him, making sure she could read him.

"Your dad is with one of the best trauma doctors around, and he's a fighter. Now, Joanna and I have to head back; Vance's orders. Stay with your dad. We will stay in touch, I promise," he said.

"Tony, please, please. I don't want to lose him," Dabi said, starting to cry.

"You won't. This nice ensign is going to stay with you and keep you company, okay?" Tony said, gesturing at a hovering Navy officer who had the gold bar of an Ensign and the gold oak leaf of the Nurse Corps.

"You find this bastard, and you hurt him, you hear me? You hurt him real good," Dabi demanded.

"Loud and clear, kiddo, loud and clear," Tony promised, giving her a tight hug. "I have to go. I love you, pain my ass."

"Love you too, sonovabitch," Dabi replied, hugging him back just as tightly.

As he and Joanna walked away, he spoke quietly to the ensign. "Hope you know sign language, or you'd better find someone who does."

"I don't know sign language, but I will find someone who does," the ensign promised. "And if not, we'll manage."

"Good. If you want to keep her busy, throw her at the baking section of the galley; she's part owner of one of the best bakeries in DC."

"Understood, sir. I'll watch out for her; I promise."

"Thank you."

As Tony and Joanna walked through the ship, Joanna commented, "Cute nicknames."

"Long story. Short version; Dabi is Gibbs' daughter. She has his temper and his mouth, and we have a running prank feud. She's also part owner of _Kranz Bakery,_ has a kick worthy of Jean-Claude Van Damme, and is very protective of her family," Tony explained. "Meningitis took her hearing when she was about six, and a drunk driver took her mother when she was about eleven."

"Must've been hard on Gibbs, raising a daughter on his own."

"He didn't. Dabi was the result of a fling Gibbs had with her mother, who died before she could work up the courage to tell him. Fate had us crossing paths with Dabi almost three years ago, just before she turned eighteen, through Abby. She'd been living with her grandparents up until then, and now lives above the bakery with her boyfriend, who happens to be a physical therapist for disabled veterans," Tony said. "She kicks, she shoots, she bakes, and when it comes to those she calls her own, you do not screw with her."

"My kind of girl. Now, let's go screw with Daniel Budd's face," Joanna said.

 _Much later:_

Gibbs woke up slowly, hurting in places he didn't realize it was possible to hurt. He licked his dry lips, then sighed as someone put an ice chip on his lips.

"Would you like more?" a soft voice asked.

He nodded, and Dabi appeared in his line of view, placing another chip on his lips. She smiled at him.

"Hey. About time you woke up."

"Where?"

"You're still on the U.S.S. _Daniel Webster_ with Dr. Taft, and you're hurting because you got shot in the chest and in the knee," Dabi said, hitting the call button. "Dr. Taft had his hands in your chest for a bit there, because of bullet fragments, plus you almost left us when your heart started acting funny, but you came back. Oh, and Mike Franks apparently popped by, because you told him to go away."

"Saw him."

"That's what I thought."

Another face appeared; Dr. Taft. "Ah, good. You're awake. Gave us quite the scare there for a bit, but thanks to my very capable hands, we pulled you back. I'm going to check you over, make sure everything is tick-tocking properly, and then we will start making arrangements for you to be transferred to Bethesda."

"Sitrep?" Gibbs asked.

"Tony and Officer Teague are chasing after the Calling somewhere back on land, Tim and Ellie got hit with a stolen vehicle case involving a bunch of stupid Privates who claim they didn't know the vehicle was stolen, Vance has been square dancing with pretty much all the letters over the Calling bullshit, oh, and the captain, Captain Melandes, he doesn't like me," Dabi said, having been keeping in constant contact with everyone.

"Why?" Gibbs asked, flinching when Taft flashed a light in his eyes to check his reflexes.

"Because your daughter is making the head baker on this ship cry," Taft said, checking his feet for his spinal reflexes. "She took the Navy dietary guideline book and tossed it out the window, and now the ship is sitting two inches lower in the water from all the weight the crew has been putting on because of what she's been serving for dessert and snacks."

"I screwed up the poor man's inventory and menu for the next week," Dabi said, smirking.

"Good," Gibbs said. "Luke?"

"They haven't found him, but I have no doubt he will be found again," Dabi said, having been appraised of the situation. She still wasn't quite sure what to think of the whole kid bomber-slash-terrorist thing.

"Better," Gibbs said. "You done poking me?" he asked Taft.

"For now. Everything appears to be doing good so far. It's going to be a while before you can do any tap dancing, but you'll be able to move from the bed to the couch in a few days. Get some rest. I'll check on you again later," Taft said.

"Coffee," Gibbs said, starting to drift off.

"I'll get you a cup, Dad, even if I have to make it myself," Dabi promised. He felt her kiss his head. "Love you."

"Love you, too."

 _Twenty-four hours later:_

"She did what?!" Gibbs yelped, staring at Captain Melandes, who had come down to visit him.

"She punched out a SEAL because he made a sexist remark about Ensign Stryder that he hadn't realized she saw, because she lip-read him from across the room," Melandes said calmly.

"Beautiful punch too," Taft said. "Flying leap right off the mess bench. Looked like something right out of MMA."

"Don't forget the follow-up," Melandes said. "She didn't break any bones, but she certainly fractured a few of his ribs and gave him a very nice black eye and a beautiful split lip."

Gibbs groaned. "She studies kickboxing and Marine hand-to-hand combat," he admitted, wondering if Dabi was going to be facing assault charges and whether or not he could bribe or threaten the Agent Afloat. "And she made friends with a pair of SEALs about a year ago, who might have taught her a few things."

"That's what she said," Melandes said, nodding.

"What about charges?" Gibbs asked, carefully taking a sip of his coffee that Dabi had brought him. Prior experience had taught him to be careful about such things. Dabi was currently grabbing a quick shower, thanks to Ensign Stryder, whom had rapidly become her friend on board the ship.

"No charges. The SEAL was too embarrassed to admit he got his lights punched out by a girl," Melandes said. "He was also told that if he tried to press charges, he would be facing charges of sexual harassment himself, partly for calling Ensign Stryder a nursemaid, and partly for calling Dabi the Little Mermaid."

Gibbs cringed. "She hates that. Says Ariel is a dreamer and a wimp in a fight. Says she'd rather be called Black Widow," he explained.

"Right, right. Natasha Romanoff, from all those Marvel movies," Taft said. "Red hair, wicked punch. Makes sense."

"That's actually what our SEAL commander, Captain Allerford, called her," Melandes admitted. "He was in the mess hall when the incident happened. Trust me, Lieutenant Junior Grade McCullens will not be giving your daughter any trouble, or any other woman for that matter, not if he values his career as a SEAL."

"Good," Gibbs said. He sighed tiredly. "Not that I don't appreciate the services of your ship, Captain, but how much longer am I going to be here?"

"That's up to the doc," Melandes said.

"Another twenty-four hours, just to be safe, and then we'll transport you to Bethesda for a while," Taft said. "I want to keep an eye on your chest and knee, make sure no further complications develop. Besides, it's not like you're in a position to argue with me anyway."

"Get between me and my coffee and I'll show you arguing," Gibbs grumbled.

"And if I suggest you switch to decaf?" Taft asked.

"Dad's a former Marine, and an NCIS veteran, Doctor," Dabi said, joining them, carrying her own cup of coffee. She had caught the last bit as she entered the room. "Do you really want the answer to that?"

"Rule Twenty-Three," Gibbs said, taking another sip of his coffee.

"Which is?" Taft asked.

"Never mess with a Marine's coffee, if you want to live," Dabi recited. "Which is sort of my Rule Twelve; screw with my coffee first thing in the morning, and I screw with your face all day."

Melandes and Taft stared at them, eyes a bit wide.

"You're serious," Taft said.

"Ask DiNozzo about the burn mark he got on his ass because he put pickling salt in her coffee on April Fool's Day last year," Gibbs said calmly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Two months had passed since Gibbs had been shot. He was still moving carefully because of his knee, and he wouldn't be tackling any suspects any time soon, but he was doing better. He could get dressed and shower without help, and the stairs to the basement were getting easier to negotiate, especially since Dabi had insisted on having that rail put in the wall, complete with concrete screws.

Surprisingly enough, Leo Benson, Dabi's live-in boyfriend, had proven not only useful, but supportive. Having worked with plenty of disabled and injured soldiers, he knew when to push and when to back off. Handy with the medical tape and gauze pads, he was able to help Gibbs with some of his home care, so he didn't have to rely on a nurse quite as much, or feel embarrassed about some of the problems, such as personal care. He also taught Gibbs a few tricks about getting around that didn't make him feel like an idiot or an invalid.

Because of Leo's assistance, Gibbs got to know the young man who was a major part of his daughter's life.

Football, _Calvin and Hobbes_ , MMA Championships, kickboxing, reading the Sunday funnies in the newspapers, those were things Leo enjoyed. Rocky the cat, his family, Dabi, his career, those were things he loved. He liked an occasional beer, and was happiest with a thick, juicy, sirloin cheeseburger that you needed a whole role of paper towels to eat with.

Dabi's feud with Tony? Tony didn't know it, but sometimes Leo helped Dabi with the pranks, thanks to ideas he got from his patients and family.

At twenty-three years of age, Leo was one of four children to Kim and Jordan Benson, and one of seven grandchildren to his grandparents, Kayla and Kevin Benson. His father, Jordan, was one of three children to Kayla and Kyle. As for great-grandchildren, there were currently three, all under the age of five. And that didn't include the family on Leo's mother's side of the family.

"Your family Thanksgivings must be a riot," Gibbs said, staring at the huge piece of paper that was on the kitchen table, that Leo brought over one day. The paper depicted Leo's family tree and went back generations.

Leo laughed. "Yeah, some of our football games can get a bit rowdy, and I've learned to get real nervous when Uncle Dan brings out the strawberry moonshine." He grinned when he saw the look on Gibbs' face. "There's a huge streak of Southerners in the family, and it's a family "secret" that we can make our own moonshine," he said, doing the quote mark. "The strawberry moonshine is for the holidays and celebrations. We reserve the real good stuff for the real important occasions. And, no, I don't know what those occasions are."

Gibbs chuckled. About a month later, he found out.

Gibbs was in the basement, working on his boat, when he heard his name being called. He looked up when someone appeared at the basement door; it was Leo.

"Hey," Leo said, coming down the stairs.

"Hey. What's up?" Gibbs asked, seeing the box the younger man was carrying. And, instead of his usual jeans and shirt or physical therapist scrubs, he was wearing a suit and dress shirt. Yeah, something was definitely up.

Leo set the box down on the work bench and pulled out two nice whiskey glasses, placing them on the bench. Then he held up a matching glass decanter with liquid in it.

"Found out what one of the occasions the real good moonshine is brought out for," he said. "Had to keep it in the trunk of my car, just in case I got pulled over by the cops."

Gibbs smirked at that. "Yeah, they're funny about that," he said, watching as Leo opened the decanter and carefully poured some of the moonshine into each of the glasses. "So what's the occasion?"

"Nana met Gram about a week ago, which was a big mistake, because now the two of them are best buds," Leo said, handing Gibbs a glass of the moonshine. "Short of the long, Dabi and I got nagged into setting a date."

"A wedding date?"

"A wedding date," Leo said, nodding. "October thirty-first."

"Halloween."

"Halloween. We thought that would get them off our backs, but nope. The idea of a Halloween wedding has them bouncing for the moon, especially when Dabi said New Orleans-style. That backfired big time!" He laughed, then turned serious. "When Dad found out, he handed me this stuff and told me you and I had to have a very important conversation before Dabi and I could do anything else. It seems I have to ask you for your daughter's hand in marriage. So, respectfully, sir, I'm asking."

"Does Dabi know about this?" Gibbs asked, taking a careful sip of the drink. He coughed as the liquid burned a steady path down his throat to his stomach. _Oh, yeah, that was the real good stuff, all right_. He took another cautious sip, savouring the drink.

"She does, and she's already agreed, but she knows my family and their traditions. Apparently it was real Southern moonshine that my great-great-great grandfather used to convince his future father-in-law to let him marry his only daughter. The story goes he was about to be on the wrong end of a gun when he offered to show the man his still."

Gibbs laughed. "Yeah, that would do it." Then he looked at Leo, whom he realized was perfectly serious. "Are you sure about this? It's not going to be easy, and there are times you may have to go into federal protection. Guns are part of my life, and Dabi's learned to accept that."

"You think I don't know about the gun that's under the front counter?" Leo asked. "Or the two in the office, one in each desk? What you don't know is that after her fight with that loser who tried to kill Sara, I spent half an hour cleaning up Owen and Mary's apartment with her because she insisted on cleaning up her mess, then an hour taking care of her my way. Violence is part of your world, and I accept that. It also means I'll do whatever I have to do to protect her." He reached behind his back and took out a gun, laying it on the bench. "That's my dad's old service pistol. I have a license to use it and carry it. I also have a concealed weapons permit, and one of my buddies is going to help me get a smaller gun."

Gibbs picked up the gun, examining it with a practiced eye. The pistol was a Beretta M9, the standard service issue gun for the majority of the USMC. Gibbs had not only used one, but he still had his old one, even though he now used a SIG Sauer P228 as his main service weapon. This one was loaded, in good shape, and cleaned recently from the smell of it.

Leo continued. "Personally, I'd rather beat the crap out of someone than shoot them, but we can't always get what we want."

"That's true." Gibbs set the gun down and picked up his drink. "Again, are you sure?"

"Yes. I love her. When I think of my future, the only sure thing I can see is Dabi. I've been in love before, and what I felt then is completely different from what I feel now," Leo said. "What I feel now is real. It's solid, it's strong, and it's been that way for a while." He took a sip of his drink. "I don't know where this road is going to go; I just know I don't want to walk it without her."

Gibbs stared at Leo, who looked right back at him. Finally:

"Rule Forty-Four: first things first, hide the women and children," he said. "If you ever get that message, you find Dabi and you hide her."

"Rule Forty-Four. Understood," Leo said.

Gibbs tapped the hidden drawer in the other bench. "My rifle is in there. Dabi is my world. She, my first wife, Shannon, and my daughter, Kelly, are the reason why I do what I do. You hurt Dabi, I will find you, and you will not see it coming."

"Not if Nana gets there first," Leo said.

Gibbs couldn't help but laugh at that. "Yeah, there is that. And there's Abby."

Leo laughed. "Actually, it was because of Abby that we said we wanted a New Orleans-style Halloween wedding. Dabi may be a head baker, but she still loves the romantic gothic styles. There's also the fact that I'm Catholic, Dabi's Jewish, Abby's gothic, and I'm pretty sure there's Christians and one or two Muslims that are going to be invited." He grinned even wider. "Dabi even tried to tell Nana she wanted a black wedding dress, just to see how she would react. Damned if the woman didn't get excited, especially when Dabi showed her this one dress."

"You do realize there's going to be a lot of federal agents at the wedding?"

"Then it will probably be one of the safest weddings of the year," Leo said, grinning. "So, you're saying yes?"

Gibbs put his glass down and held out his hand. "Yes."

"Thanks. I mean it," Leo said, accepting the hand. Then, to his surprise, Gibbs hugged him tightly.

"Hey Gibbs!" Taft yelled from upstairs.

"Down here!" Gibbs called back, letting his future son-in-law go.

The doctor appeared, looking a bit tired. "Hey Leo. How's our favourite patient?" he asked, coming down the stairs.

"Future father-in-law," Leo corrected, "and considering he just drank some real Southern moonshine without choking on it, I'd say he's doing pretty good."

"Future father-in-law, huh? So you're going to ask, or you already did?" Taft asked, accepting mason jar Gibbs handed him, with a shot of moonshine in it.

"Already did. Gram and Nana got together and nagged for a date," Leo said. "October thirty-first, New Orleans Halloween theme. Oh, and you're invited. Dabi mentioned it, said to pass it on in case we crossed paths."

"I'll let my wife know," Taft said. He took a sip of the drink, and started coughing, causing Gibbs and Leo to laugh. "This is Southern moonshine?" Taft asked, looking at his glass with new respect. "I could use this as an antiseptic, and nobody would know the difference!"

At Abby's place, Abby was bouncing up and down excitedly. She had just been told the news about the wedding, and the fact that she was being asked to be the Maid of Honour.

"A Halloween wedding? Really? That will be so cool!" Abby said excitedly.

"We were trying to shock Nana and Gram and it backfired," Dabi admitted. "I even said we were doing it New Orleans-style, and I wanted a black dress, and they were like okay!" Abby laughed. "So, black wedding dress, dark red bridesmaid dresses, guests in costume?"

"Perfect!"

"I'm out of my freaking mind!"

Abby smiled at her friend reassuringly. "Do you love him?" she asked.

"He's my world."

"Then that's all that matters. Let Nana and Gram have some fun, and you and I will have our fun," Abby soothed.

"Does that mean you'll stop me and Leo from trying to murder those two?" Dabi asked hopefully.

"Of course." Then Abby grinned. "This is going to be one of the safest weddings ever."

"How so?"

"At least a dozen federal agents? And Marine and Navy personnel? No one would dare try anything stupid," Abby said.

Dabi blinked as she thought about that. "Right. You guys and your dates, Uncle Toby and Emily, Director Vance and his kids, Owen and his family, Fran and Damon (she's still with him), anyone else?"

"Don't forget Callen and friends in L.A., and Five-0 in Hawaii, and King and team in New Orleans," Abby said.

"This is going to be a very big party, isn't it?" Dabi asked, eyes going wide.

"The best."

Then Dabi sobered. "Mom's supposed to be there, and she won't be. Neither will Pop-Pop. They're both supposed to be there."

The sadness in her friend's eyes had Abby putting her arms around her.

"And they will be. That's the best part about having the wedding on Halloween; the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest. We can invite your mom and Pop-Pop to the wedding," Abby said. "We can even have a special section or a special chair for all those who've passed on that we wish were there. That way we can celebrate the living and remember the dead, and that way everyone can be there, even if we can't see them."

Dabi nodded. "I like that, and I think everyone else will too." She took out her phone and quickly sent Nana and Gram a message, outlining the idea. A moment later, as Abby was making up a pot of her favourite, ultra-special, hot chocolate for them, Dabi got a message back. It was from Owen.

"He says he has two women in our apartment bawling their eyes out over the concept of the Memory Chair," Dabi said. "Is that good or bad?" she mumbled, sending the message.

"I'm betting good," Abby said, carefully adding the chocolate chips to the mix.

Owen's reply was quick. " _Very good. We've been told to start looking for a special chair._ "

"Ask Gibbs to make one," Abby said, stirring the pot to get the chocolate chips melting. "I'll bet he could do it in a month. And make it a rocking chair; that way, if anyone sits in it, we'll know."

Dabi sent the message to Owen, who replied, " _Talk to him. It would give him something to do while he heals_. _Have you heard from Leo?"_

"Yeah. Dad said yes," Dabi mumbled. "I'll ask him." She sent her father a new message, asking him about the rocking chair and explaining the idea behind it. About five minutes later, she had her answer. "We're going wood hunting together. Guess that answers that."

Abby smiled brightly. "Let's get this party started!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Daniel Budd was dead, thanks to Tony, who was back home from Shanghai, and the Calling was rapidly being dismantled. Gibbs was back at work, but largely confined to his desk until Vance cleared him.

When shadows fell over his desk, he looked up. To Gibbs' surprise, it was Dabi, with Sharee Shemo and Kayla Benson, otherwise known as Nana and Gram. All three women were wearing visitor badges, and were unescorted due to the fact that Security knew Dabi.

"Hi Dad," Dabi said, looking a bit tired. She took a sip of her large coffee, and tapped her wrist.

Gibbs glanced at the time. _Right._ "Fitting appointment, right?"

"You got that right, Toots," Gram said cheerfully.

"Any chance I can get out of it?" Gibbs asked hopefully.

"Afraid not," Dabi said, the look on her face saying she wished she could.

"You're the father of the bride, and you wiggled out of the last one," Nana said.

"I was busy," Gibbs protested.

"Right. Well, you're not busy now, which means you're able to come to your appointment," Gram said.

Dabi just rolled her eyes.

"DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, hoping his senior agent had an excuse that would get him out of the appointment.

"We're covered, Boss," Tony said. "If something come up, we'll call you."

"Besides, a fitting appointment isn't that bad," Ellie said.

Gibbs glared at her. "I've been married four times, remember?"

"Then you should know the routine by now," Gram said.

"It's fifteen minutes, maybe half an hour," Dabi promised. "And I'll buy you coffee."

"Nonsense, Dabi. We'll make it lunch. The poor man has to eat, after all," Gram said. "And then we need to check out two possible locations for the venue. Still much to do, dearie."

Gibbs only just saw the look that crossed Dabi's face. Something was up, and he had a sneaking suspicion it wasn't good.

As they headed for the elevator, Gibbs quickly signed to Dabi.

" _Are you okay?_ "

She shook her head. " _Tired. Stressed out._ "

He nodded, but that didn't stop him from worrying. Ten minutes later, he was trying to stop his heart from pounding out of his chest. It seemed Gram owned a white 1955 Cadillac Fleetwood, and she loved to be a little heavy on the gas.

"Kayla, I just got the all-clear from my doctor to return to work!" Gibbs snapped. "Are you trying to put me back in hospital?"

Gram laughed, but eased off on the gas. "Sorry about that, love. Guess I'm a bit of a lead foot with this baby."

To Gibbs surprise, they arrived at a tuxedo rental place. Sonja Von Vespers, a wedding consultant who had been hired to organize the wedding, was waiting for them. Sonja was willow-thin, with black hair in a French twist, olive skin, and dressed immaculately in a dark green suit. Gibbs hated her instantly, and the feeling grew when she looked him up and down with disdain.

"About time you showed up, Mr. Gibbs," Sonja said. "My time is money, and I don't like it being wasted."

"That's Special Agent Gibbs, lady. My father was Mr. Gibbs, and I was under the impression this wedding was supposed to be a Halloween-themed wedding, which meant screw the turkey suit," Gibbs shot back.

"Plans change," Sonja shot back. "It will still be Halloween-ish, but the ladies have decided to do it properly, and that includes you."

Gibbs caught the look on Dabi's face; she was flushing with embarrassment.

"Fifteen minutes, and I'm out of here," Gibbs said. "It's only because of Dabi that I'm here."

The tailor took over, taping and muttering as Gibbs put on a pair of black slacks, red vest, white shirt, and black jacket. After ten minutes of this, his knee started bothering him to the point he had to sit down in the change room. An idea came to him, and he quickly sent Tony a message. " _Get me out of here! Now!_ "

A moment later, his phone rang. It was Tony.

" _McGeek's got your location, Boss. We're sending a cab your way. Bad?_ "

"I'm about to commit a murder of my own," Gibbs growled.

" _Understood. Cab's on its way_."

Gibbs left the change room and went to the front. "Got a call-out. New case. I have to go," he said.

"Oh dear! So you won't be able to join us for lunch," Nana said.

"I'm afraid so," Gibbs said, ignoring the glare Sonja sent his way.

"Do you need a ride back?" Gram asked.

"I'm good," Gibbs said. "One of my agents is sending a cab to pick me up."

"Well at least you did us the courtesy of taking care of the fitting first," Sonja said sweetly.

Gibbs had to fight the urge not to flip the bird at the woman. Instead, he headed to the front of the store with Dabi, leaving the other three women to chatter.

" _You don't look good,_ " Gibbs signed to Dabi.

She shrugged. " _Stress._ "

" _That woman is a bitch._ "

" _I didn't hire her. Nana and Gram did, and she's supposed to be one of the best in the business._ "

" _Not if she's completely ignoring your own wedding plans and ideas. It's supposed to be your wedding, but it's looking more and more like Gram and Nana's wedding, or Sonja's vision."_

" _I know. I hate her._ "

" _So get rid of her._ "

" _With or without a bullet in her ass?_ "

" _Want my backup?_ "

" _Don't tempt me._ "

The cab picked Gibbs up, and Sonja, Gram, Nana, and Dabi left to meet Leo at a restaurant for lunch. None of the older women seemed to notice that Dabi had gone particularly quiet.

At the restaurant, Dabi accepted Leo's hello kiss before sitting down. The restaurant was busy, as it was lunch rush, so it took the waitress a bit to get their coffee and tea to them. When they ordered, Dabi elected to order the restaurant's version of a banana split, pointedly ignoring the scathing look Sonja sent her way.

"We have to meet with the owner of the venue to discuss seating arrangements. And we have to meet with the caterer to finalize the menu," Sonja said, looking through her leather portfolio book, which Dabi had long decided she hated with a passion.

"I don't have time," Dabi said, taking a spoonful of her ice cream, to which Leo pretended to steal, causing her to smile at his antics.

"Make time," Sonja shot back. "He's a very busy man, and this wedding is in less than two months. Oh, and there's the final details on the flowers, and one more wedding dress appointment, and a hair appointment. You really do need to do something about your hair." She gestured at Dabi's hair with a look of disgust, which was currently in a pony tail.

That did it. Dabi blew.

"Enough already!" she yelled, bolting out of her chair, which caused it to fall backwards to the floor with a clatter. "Screw this damn wedding, and screw you, because it's not a wedding, it's a freaking three ring circus!"

"But it's your wedding, dear!" Nana protested.

"Which I don't want!" Dabi yelled, her eyes filling with tears as her hands flew. "I never wanted this! Both Leo and I tried to shock the pair of you, just to get you to back the hell off! I'm twenty years old! I don't want to get married yet! And you're already talking great-grandchildren? I damn near lost my dad! I don't want kids right now! I just want to run the bakery, and hold my dad, and get some decent sleep without worrying about tomorrow or all these stupid wedding details for a wedding I don't even want!" She looked at Leo, tears streaming down her face, chest heaving, who was looking at her, eyes a bit wide. " _I love you, but I need a break. I can't do this right now,_ " she signed.

He smiled at her and took her hand, squeezing it tightly. " _I love you too. Go. I'll take care of this. Text me later so I know you're safe,"_ he signed back.

Dabi nodded gratefully, and grabbed her purse. Ignoring the stares from the other patrons, she quickly left the restaurant, which had gone silent.

"Leo, go after your fiancée and calm her down," Sonja ordered. "This is no time for such crass behaviour. We have a wedding to plan!"

"Go fuck yourself, Sonja," Leo said calmly, very aware that they were being watched by everyone. "She's right. You two," he continued, indicating Gram and Nana, "you pushed us into this whole wedding thing. Neither of us wanted to get married yet."

"But you're living together, sleeping together!" Gram protested.

"So? That's our right, Gram. Dabi's only twenty. She'll be twenty-one in a few short weeks, but she's still young, and so am I," Leo countered. "And in the last three years, Dabi's world has gone completely screwy. Nothing is the same. She's had to fight just to get her feet back under her, to regain her self-confidence. And now this bitch has the nerve to tell the woman that I love, the woman who is absolutely perfect in every sense of the word, that she needs to go on a diet? Dabi is physically active from the moment she gets up to the moment the bakery shuts, not to mention the kickboxing and the sparring sessions she has with her father. She is in perfect health and perfect shape, far better than this bitch. And wedding dress appointments? Seriously? When this bitch has already been told Dabi doesn't want a damn traditional wedding dress! Oh, but she's deaf, so she's just stupid and couldn't possibly understand the whole wedding thing!" He glared at the women, who had all gone pale. "Right now, you two have a choice to make. You either get rid of this miserable cow, and tone down the damn wedding, if there is even going to be a wedding after this, or not only will there not be a wedding, Gibbs will suddenly find himself with two new roommates!" He stood up and pulled a twenty out of his wallet, tossing it on the table. "This circus isn't about you two, it's about us, and it's about damn time you remembered that!" And with that, he stormed out of the restaurant.

Nana looked at Gram, who was as white as a sheet. Then she looked at Sonja, who was flushing angrily. "Sonja, did you really tell my granddaughter that she needed to go on a diet?"

"I may have suggested she lose a bit of weight," Sonja said defensively. "She's got too much bulk on her to be able to find a real wedding dress in the short amount of time we have left!"

"Dabi specifically said she was not going to wear a traditional wedding dress," Gram said. "Therefore, there will be no need to find a real wedding dress."

"But a black dress? At a wedding? I mean, come on! No one does that!" Sonja protested. "Only goths and freaks do!"

"Are you suggesting that my granddaughter is a freak?" Nana asked quietly. "I'll have you know one of Dabi's best friends, the Maid of Honor, is also a goth, and the things she could do to you..."

Sonja flushed even more.

Nana looked at Gram, who looked at her. Both women nodded.

"Sonja, you're fired," Gram said. "I will let the rest of the family know that we will no longer be using your services." And with that, both women stood up and gathered their stuff together, leaving behind a shell-shocked Sonja. "We will cancel the flowers and the venue."

"And since the reception dessert is being provided by Kranz, I will take care of that," Nana said.

"Do you want to handle the catering, or shall I?" Gram asked, pausing long enough to pay the bill at the front.

"I will. I'm looking forward to telling that horrid man where he can put his pork loins," Nana said.

Gram laughed. Then she sobered. "I just hope we haven't lost Dabi or Leo after this."

"Me too," Nana admitted.

Somehow, Dabi wound up at Tony's apartment, not wanting to go back to the bakery. To her surprise and delight, Anthony DiNozzo Sr. was there. She had met the man before and liked him well enough, and he liked her, especially the pranks she pulled on Tony.

"Bad?" he asked, leading her to the couch.

"I tore a strip off Nana and Gram because of Sonja the Bitch," Dabi admitted. "Told them I didn't want to get married, that they had pushed me and Leo into it, and this whole wedding was becoming a giant circus that I didn't want to be a part of anymore."

Tony Sr. nodded in sympathy. "I've been married plenty of times, and I've seen how bad it can get, especially when someone other than the bride and groom take over the wedding planning."

"I just... I don't know what to do. I love Nana, and I know I'm all she has left, but this has gotten way out of hand. Even if I did marry Leo, I would want a simple wedding, not this whole fancy, shmancy formal shebang bullshit thing. Even Dad's got problems with it; he called the tux a turkey suit."

Tony Sr. laughed. "Yeah, he's got that right. I've always hated those things, especially if they come with a cummerbund and a bowtie. Hangman's noose, I used to call them."

Dabi laughed. Then she started crying. "I'm sorry," she sobbed, grateful for Tony Sr., who simply held her and rocked her.

Once the tears let up enough, he got her some paper towels and tissues so she could blow her nose and mop up her face.

"Now, you listen to me, kiddo, or see me, as the case may be (Dabi giggled, hiccupping). It sounds to me like you need a break. It also sounds like you're missing your granddad and your mom real bad right now. So, this is what we're going to do," Tony Sr. said. "I've never been a grandfather before, so I guess I'll learn as I go. Now, as your grandfather, I say we are going to order out. Get some Italian or something, some wine. While I'm ordering, I want you to let Gibbs know where you are, and Leo, as well. Then, we are going to do nothing but talk, and maybe watch a few old movies together."

"What about Tony?" Dabi asked.

Tony Sr. smiled. "You let me worry about him."

A few hours later, Tony showed up, followed by Leo. The end result was Tony crashing on his couch, while the young couple had a serious heart-to-heart talk in his bedroom, eventually falling asleep on his bed together, both emotionally and physically worn out.

The next morning, Nana showed up at NCIS, looking for Gibbs.

"Neither Dabi nor Leo came home last night," she admitted. "They both sent me messages saying they were okay, but they didn't say where they were."

"They spent the night at my apartment, with my dad playing host," Tony said from his desk, trying to get the kinks out of his back. "So yeah, they were okay. They told us a few things."

"About the wedding?" Nana asked, accepting the chair Tim kindly got her.

"Yeah. Three-ring circus, Sonja the Bitch, the works," Tony said.

"Sonja's been fired," Nana said. "Leo gave us an ultimatum; either fire Sonja, or not only would there not be a wedding, but Jethro would be getting two new roommates."

Gibbs grunted. "I've got the room."

"Well, Sonja's gone. We've canceled the flowers and the catering for now, and the same with the venue, and Kayla and I've agreed to wait until we've talked to Leo and Dabi before we do anything else," Nana said. "Do you know if they're still going to get married?" she asked Tony.

"Yeah, I think they will, but it'll be on their terms," Tony said.

"Why did you go overboard?" Gibbs asked.

"I don't know. I guess, I just, I don't know. Sonja, she can be very persuasive, and Dabi is my only granddaughter. I guess I just wanted to make things special for her," Nana said. "Except things weren't so special after all. I just don't want to lose her."

Someone tapped Nana on the shoulder and she looked up; it was Dabi, who was smiling down at her. Her hair was still damp and she was wearing one of Tony's old black dress shirts and a red vest she had been given by Tony Sr. Beside her, was a beaming Abby.

"You silly goose. You're not going to lose me," Dabi said. "But Leo and I, we have to do things our way."

Nana nodded. "I understand. I lost sight of that, _Nehda_ , and I'm sorry."

Dabi hugged her grandmother tightly. "It's okay, Nana, it's okay." The two women parted, with Nana wiping her eyes. "Now, how are we going to do this so that it's fun?"

"I just might be able to help with that," Vance said, joining them. "I know someone who owes me a favour, someone who happens to have the keys to a historic mansion in D.C., one that's said to have been built around the time of George Washington, himself, and word has it, there's a few ghosts hanging around."

Dabi's face lit up, and Nana clapped excitedly. "That would be wonderful!" Nana exclaimed.

"I'll make the call and get back to you," Vance said, heading back upstairs.

"You know, there's a guy who does ice cream catering," Gibbs said. "If you've got kids involved, ice cream would be a lot more fun. One of Amira's classmates used him at a birthday party she was invited to, and the kids loved it because they could custom-make their own ice cream treat."

"Perfect!" Nana exclaimed. Dabi smiled gratefully at him.

"There's a costume rental place that has fabulous costumes," Ellie said. "I rented from them last year, and they had some really cool stuff. Victorian era and all that. Much better than tuxes."

"And probably more comfortable," Tim said.

"Depends on if you're wearing corsets or not," Abby said cheerfully.

Vance reappeared, a piece of paper in hand, which he handed to Dabi, who handed it to Nana. "His name is Charles Shaw, and he and his wife are not only delighted to host the wedding, they're absolutely thrilled of the idea of a Halloween wedding, which they've apparently never considered doing before," he said.

"And the ghost rumors?" Abby asked hopefully.

"He confirmed there is a few Civil War spirits that have been spotted on the grounds and in the buildings," Vance said. "And he did note they do seem to get particularly active as Halloween draws closer."

"That solves that problem then," Gibbs said.

Dabi smiled at him, and he was relieved to see the light back in her eyes again. Not only did he owe Vance a favour for making Dabi smile again, but he also owed Tony Sr. a very big favour for taking care of her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

It was October, and the wedding was fast approaching. Everyone was busy, so Gibbs was surprised to see Leo waiting for him at his desk when he got back from dealing with Vance over former NCIS Agent Kip Klugman.

"You okay?" he asked the younger man.

"I'm fine, but I need a favour," Leo said.

"I'm listening," Gibbs said.

"Ginger Savannah Pickering," Leo said. "Date of birth, March twenty-second, nineteen-ninety-four. Said she was attending Georgetown University, taking the nursing program."

"Bishop?" Gibbs asked the agent, who was at her desk, catching up on some paperwork.

"Searching," Ellie said, already typing in the name and information. "This her?" she asked, throwing up a driver's license on the plasma. The person was a young blonde woman with a very white smile and blue eyes.

"That's her," Leo said, nodding.

"What about her?" Gibbs asked.

"She's my ex-girlfriend. She dumped me about two months before I met Dabi. I wasn't exactly heartbroken over it; I would have called her a Barbie doll, but that would have been an insult to the doll."

"Meow-ch," Ellie said. Gibbs laughed.

"Anyway, I ran into her last year, just before I found out about Dabi and the junkie that DiNozzo had to shoot. She wanted to hook back up, I said no chance," Leo said. "Ran into her a few days ago, told her I was getting married."

"She didn't get the message?" Gibbs asked, seeing where this was going.

"Nope. She's convinced I'm only marrying Dabi out of pity, because she saw us signing, or because Dabi's good in bed (that's an assumption on her part, because I never said a word), or because I'll get a sizeable chunk of the bakery when I divorce Dabi later," Leo said. "I nearly poured my drink on her over that last one. Then I find out she reached out to a couple of mutual friends and was asking about the wedding location."

"You think she'll show up at the wedding," Gibbs said.

"I do, and I don't trust her," Leo said. "She's got a streak of vanity a mile wide and seems to be firmly convinced that no other girl will be good enough for me the way she was."

"So why did she dump you?" Ellie asked.

"Apparently she got bored with me, because I was getting heavily into my studies at the time and wasn't paying enough attention to her. But now she says she made a mistake and wants to get back with me," Leo said. He laughed. "Not a chance. She was a good romp, especially when she'd had a bottle of wine, but otherwise she was eye candy. I realized that after she dumped me and I felt relieved instead of upset."

"What do you need?" Gibbs asked.

"Pass her face around, and if she shows up at the wedding, kick her ass out," Leo said. "I won't have that crazy witch disrupt one of the most important days of my life."

"If you show me the guest list and their contact information, I can create a wedding BOLO to send to certain people," Ellie offered.

"Do it," Gibbs said. "Send it to me, and I'll pass it on to a few friends. Is Ginger going to be a troublemaker?" he asked Leo.

"I don't know, but I don't trust her. I've seen her go Drama Queen to the max when she doesn't get her way. One of the reasons why I was glad to see the back of her," Leo said.

"So, potential troublemaker, unhealthily obsessed with the groom, possible threat to the bride," Ellie said as she typed. "Tendency to channel Naomi Campbell, hissy-fits included?"

"Oh yeah," Leo said. "I once saw her go ballistic because her non-fat whatever whatever soy latte didn't have the right amount of foam on it. Diva with a capital D. She's like a plastic plant: pretty to look at, but not much good for anything else. When she told me she was taking a nursing program, I nearly choked on my coffee. The last time she took care of anything living, it was a cactus, and she managed to kill that."

Both Gibbs and Ellie winced.

"Coming your way, Boss," Ellie said, hitting a key.

"Are you going to tell Dabi?" Gibbs asked Leo.

"I have to. I have a feeling Ginger is going to try and show up at the bakery and cause problems for Dabi," Leo said. "Can you send me a copy of that BOLO? That way I can pass it on to the bakery staff and Owen, make sure she's labeled as a possible threat."

"Just need your email address," Ellie said. Leo gave it to her. "Coming your way," she said.

"Thanks, guys. I really appreciate this," Leo said. "And I just thought of something; I need to see AJ in the morning and have a prenup done up, one that protects Dabi and the business, because if she and I divorce and there's no prenup, I get half her share of the bakery, and I don't want that. If I sign a prenup, in the event that we divorce, I can make sure I get nothing from the business."

"Depressing, but smart," Gibbs said, sending the email to Fornell, Vance, and Special Agent Dwayne "King" Pride, whom he knew was going to be at the wedding, along with Agent Sonja Percy.

"It's a way of protecting her, and giving Ginger the bird," Leo said. "If I have to, how hard would it be for me to get a restraining order on her? One that keeps her away from the bakery and us."

"Depends on what she does, but she can be changed with trespassing," Gibbs said.

"Sounds good to me," Leo said. "I have zero tolerance for her kind of bullshit, and the faster she realizes that, the better."

Gibbs grunted in agreement. His computer chirped; it was Fornell. "Fornell says he and Emily will be on the look-out for Ginger. If she tries anything, she's going to have a problem."

"Excellent," Leo said. "Thanks, guys. I really appreciate this."

"Yeah, no problem," Gibbs said. "As long as you let Dabi know what's going on."

"I will. I promise," Leo said. "Oh, word of warning: Dad found us a wedding officiant who signs. He's an old buddy of Dad's, and a comedian. I spoke to him for about half an hour today, and my ribs are still sore. Seems he finds the idea of a Halloween wedding very interesting."

"That's what I'm getting from a lot of people," Gibbs admitted.

"And do you remember the _Ghost Hunters_ crew? Zander, Adam, Bryan, and Jay? The ones who got Dabi to do that lockdown at that haunted barracks?" Leo asked.

"I do," Gibbs said. "They coming?"

"They're coming, and not only are they going to tape the wedding for us, but the owners of the mansion have agreed to a special Halloween tour, which will allow them to do a Halloween special for their show," Leo said.

"Sounds like this wedding is going to be a blast," Ellie said.

"Oh it is, it is," Leo said, grinning. "I'm being told there's going to be a haunted house section for the kids, and the staff at the bakery are working on something special for the cake. And that's not including the treats on the side."

"I think I'm going to have to make sure my skirt has a few extra buttons in case I need to loosen it," Ellie said.

Leo laughed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 _October 31st_

It was the day of the wedding, and people were gathering at the mansion. The ice cream caterers were helping set up the tables in one of yards, along with staff from the bakery, who had brought in a truckload of delights suitable for every age range. The ceremony and guest seating had been set up under an old oak tree that was said to be as old as the mansion. There was even a podium for the marriage officiant, Tyler Reneer, who was a former Marine chaplain who had decided to open his services to all denominations.

The mansion, itself, had been built around seventeen-ninety and had been well-cared for over the years, despite going through the Civil War, several renovations, and building code updates. The grounds were beautiful and well maintained, and a section had been set up for children to have fun in during the wedding.

The _Ghost Hunters_ crew had been through the mansion and the grounds, thanks to a tour by the owners, Mark and Martha Ravencroft, and raved about them. Now they were with the rest of the guests, dressed as various superheroes, ranging from Green Lantern to Thor to even Zorro.

Now, Dabi was in one of the guest rooms that had been set aside for the bridal party. Wearing a white and gold dress similar to Éowyn's from _Lord of the Rings_ , she was doing the last bit of her make-up, when Gibbs appeared. He was dressed as a sheriff from the old west, in a black duster, vest, pants, boots with silver spurs, and a white shirt with red tie. A pair of six-shooters were in holsters on his hips (and they were real), a pocket watch was on a chain in the vest pocket, and a silver star badge gleamed on his coat. His hat was in his hand, and he had a slender jewel case in the other hand, one that looked like it had seen better days.

Surprisingly enough, Abby was dressed as Raggedy Ann, complete with bright red wool hair. Emily, one of the bridesmaids, had chosen to dress up as Black Widow. Fran was also there, as another bridesmaid, alongside her Alaska State Trooper boyfriend, Damon Garth. Fran was dressed in a red and black Harley Quinn costume, and Damon was the Joker from _The Dark Knight,_ complete with greenish hair and smile.

When Dabi and Leo had finally figured out what they were going to wear (Éowyn and Faramir from _Lord of the Rings_ ), Gibbs had quietly asked Abby to suggest that Dabi wear pearl earrings. The reason for that was in the jewel case in his hand.

When Dabi saw her father, she smiled.

" _You look beautiful,_ " he signed. She blushed. Then he held up the case. " _I have something for you. Close your eyes._ " Curious, she did so. He opened the case and took out a genuine pearl strand necklace. He carefully undid the antique clasp and placed it around Dabi's neck, feeling a wide range of emotions coursing through him. Dabi's eyes flew open in shock; the pearls were cold and heavy. Once the clasp was done and the necklace settled, Gibbs explained. " _These once belonged to my mom, and now they're yours. My mom died when I was a young boy. I found these when I was cleaning out Dad's place, and found a wedding photo of her wearing them. Mom was a redhead too, and she would have loved you as much as much as Dad did._ "

Dabi's eyes filled with tears as she realized the significance of the necklace.

"Is she with the Memory Chair?" Dabi asked.

Gibbs nodded. "Her and Dad both."

"Good." Dabi laughed and took a frantic swipe at her tears. "I don't want to ruin my makeup; smeared mascara's a PIA."

Abby approached them. "It's almost time," she said. "Are you ready?"

Dabi picked up her lipgloss and gave one last swipe, then took a deep breath. "I am now," she said. Abby handed her the red and black bouquet of flowers, and picked up her. Emily smiled at them, and Nana joined them, trying not to cry.

"Everyone's waiting," she said. "I simply cannot believe the number of people who came."

"Amazing the people we know, isn't it?" Gibbs said, watching as Nana carefully adjusted the gold circlet around Dabi's forehead. It was about as close to a veil as the dress was going to get.

"Oh, it is, and it's so nice to meet some of them," Nana said. "All right, love. We're ready."

Dabi nodded, and took her father's arm. She was going to have to be careful because the stairs were a little steep and the gown covered her feet. The last thing they needed was a new permanent resident of the mansion.

The crowd was big, and that didn't include the camera that was broadcasting live to Honolulu, for the Hawaii Five-0 team.

Waiting up at the front was Leo, his deaf brother, Toby, and a buddy of Leo's, a young enlisted Navy officer by the name of Dean. Toby was dressed as Hawkeye, who became deaf in the early 1980's, and Dean was dressed as Captain America, complete with shield. Also there was Reneer, dressed in a smart black suit, black dress shirt, and red tie, with a red Devil tail peeking out from under his jacket, and two red horns on his head.

There were clowns, fairies, ghosts, superheroes, and everything in between in the crowd.

The little girl who was the flower girl, dressed as Stella the Winx fairy, carefully made her way up to the front and stood next to Toby, who was one of her uncles. Then it was Emily, dressed as the Black Widow, followed by Abby. Finally, it was Gibbs and Dabi's turn.

Reneer smiled when they approached him.

"I've never met a father who was willing to give up his daughter, so instead I ask, do I have your blessing for this marriage?" Reneer asked Gibbs.

"You do," Gibbs said, giving Dabi's hand to Leo's. He pushed back his duster and put his hand on the six-shooter. "These are real. Think about it."

"I do, sir. Every day," Leo said calmly, causing laughter.

"Brave man," Reneer said as Gibbs sat down in his designated spot. "Now, normally this is the part where I say that if anyone objects to this union, they need to stand up now. Not this time. If you object to this union, do yourself a favour; shut up. Seriously. I'm counting at least a dozen feds of different letters, a cop or two, two medical examiners, and a forensic specialist, all of whom who would make your life hell. Oh, and two very nice grandmas who would cheerfully punch your lights out. We good? Yeah? Yeah, we're good," Reneer said, hearing the laughter. "Okay, moving on," he continued amid the laughter, opening his book. "Now, dearly beloved ghosts, goblins, and is that a clown or two I see back there? Anyways, enough clowning around. We are gathered here today to bear witness to the union of this fine couple in what we hope will be a long and content marriage. Now, let me tell you; it ain't always going to be easy. You're going to have good days, wonderful, fantastic days, top o' the world, ma-type days, but you're also going to have bad days, tough days that leave you going bald from all the hair pulling you've done, and days when there's so much horse poop flying around, the toilets get jealous." The crowd roared. Once it died down, Reneer continued. "But those days will be the most important days, because it's those days, and your actions, that will determine if you have what it takes to keep your marriage strong and long. There's a reason why horse poop is used in gardens; it stinks, but it makes fantastic fertilizer for the roses, which have been known to grow beautifully as a result. Think about it.

Leonard, Dabi, you two are young, but I can see right now, you've got something good. At the end of the day, love each other, talk to each other, and most importantly, when it gets dark, remember to reach for each other. And, of course, a good tickle fight is a wonderful stress reliever, too."

"Hear, hear!" someone yelled from the back, causing more laughter.

"Now for the good stuff," Reneer said. "Dabi, Leonard, join hands please." Dabi handed her bouquet to Abby, and she and Leo joined their hands. "Dabi, do you take Leonard to be your legal wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward?"

"I do," Dabi said.

"Perfect. And Leonard, do you take Dabi to be your legal wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward?" Reneer asked.

"I do," Leo said.

"Rings?" Reneer asked. A little boy dressed as Batman stepped forward and handed the rings to him. "Thank you, Batman, but aren't you a bit short today?"

The little boy looked at him, then swung, landing a solid punch on him, causing him to grunt.

"Point made, Batman. Sorry," Reneer said, as the boy went back to his spot amid the laughter. "A little to the left and a bit higher, and I would be impersonating Alvin. Anyways, Dabi, you're up. Repeat after me."

"I, Dabi, take Leonard to be my husband. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, for better or worse, as I promise my love to you. With this ring, I thee wed," Dabi and Reneer said. Dabi then put the ring on Leo's left ring finger.

Then it was Leo's turn. "I, Leonard, take Dabi to be my wife. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, for better or worse, as I promise my love to you. With this ring, I thee wed," Leo recited, sliding the ring on Dabi's left ring finger.

"Now, at this point, these two have something they want to say to each other," Reneer said. "Dabi?"

Dabi took a steadying breath, looked at Leo, and saw the reassurance she was looking for. She began signing.

"That first night I met you, I was hurting. I was, I was in a darkness I was having trouble finding my way out of, and there you were. You saw me at my worst before you ever saw me at my best, and you didn't walk away. And I fell. I didn't want to, but I did. I fell in love with you that night because you shone a light into my heart, and you held on to me, even when I fought you. I'm not fighting you anymore. I'm giving myself to you, completely, heart and soul, for as long as God will allow, and I ask that you don't ever let me go."

Leo smiled at her.

"I remember that night," he said. "I knew you were hurting, and I wanted desperately to help you, to see you smile, but I also knew that before you could smile, you first had to heal. I promised myself that I would be there for you, that I would hold on to you even when you didn't want me to, because, sooner or later, you would learn to walk on your own again. I watched you learn, and as I did, I realized I wanted to walk with you. I never expected to fall in love with you, never expected to feel as deeply as you make me feel. I've got you, babe, because you've got me. Totally. Completely."

Reneer nodded, satisfied. "Dabi and Leonard, you have chosen to enter into the promise of marriage with each other by pledging your love and devotion with your vows and sealing those vows with the exchange of the rings. Therefore, with the power vested in me by the State of the District of Columbia, I now pronounce you Husband and Wife. Leonard, you may now kiss your bride **.** "

Dabi didn't see the crowd cheering and clapping as Leo cupped her face and proceeded to kiss her soundly, causing her knees to buckle. When he let her go, he smiled at her.

"Hi, wife," he said.

"Hi, husband," she said breathlessly.

"Shall we?" he asked, jerking his head towards the reception area.

"We shall," she said, linking her arm through his. She accepted her bouquet back from a beaming Abby, and they faced the applauding crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Leo and Dabi, husband and wife. Now, let's get this party started!" Reneer said.

And the crowd roared their approval.

The party was in full swing, and kids were having fun. The Ravencrofts had even created a special trick-or-treat game for the children, and included a Halloween piñata that the children, numbering about a dozen, had loved.

It was Emily who spotted Supergirl first. With her blonde hair in too-perfect curls, bright red lipstick, a sparkling Supergirl corset, a Supergirl cape, a red sparkly velvet skirt that only just covered her bottom, red thigh high stockings, and mile-high red heels, the young woman stood out like a sore thumb amid the family-friendly costumes.

Before Supergirl could go any further, she was confronted by Emily, who smiled brightly at her, grabbed her by the elbow, and hauled her into a corner, away from the guests, and more importantly, Dabi and Leo.

"Hello, Supergirl, or should I call you Ginger Pickering?" Emily asked, her voice deadly sweet.

"We've never met," Ginger said, not liking the look in the teen's eyes.

"Maybe not directly," Emily said, starting to invade her personal space. "But I know all about you, and I also happen to know you were expressly told to stay away from here."

"You have no right to tell me where I can and can't go," Ginger blustered, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "I know the groom; I'm his old girlfriend and I wanted to congratulate him on his marriage."

"Not a chance. This is my cousin's wedding, and I happen to like my cousin. I know all about you, Barbie, about how you dumped Leo, and then tried to suggest he was only marrying Dabi because he felt sorry for her, or that he would get half her business when he divorces her later," Emily said.

"She's not good enough for him!" Ginger protested, her face flushing. "She's deaf, and she couldn't possibly have anything on me!"

"She does," Sonja said, joining them, having seen what was going on. "She has his heart. She also has a brain and a heart of gold, unlike you. Did you really freak out over the amount of foam on your coffee? Like, seriously, sister!"

Ginger flushed again. "Hey! I paid good money for that latte, and the dumb idiot couldn't even get it right!" she snapped. "She deserves to be paid only minimum wage! She clearly wasn't smart enough to do anything else!"

By now Ellie and Fran had joined them.

"Oh, and you're the wannabe nurse who actually managed to kill a cactus? If you actually do manage to become an RN, I am staying the hell away from whatever hospital you work at, sister," Fran said. "If I'm going to put my life on the line, it's not going to be because of you."

"Look, bitch-" Ginger started, but Ellie cut in.

"No, you listen, and you listen good. You stay the hell away from Leo and Dabi. This is _their_ day _,_ and you are not going to spoil it."

"You have a choice, Super Bitch; walk out, quickly and quietly, or I will drag you out by the roots of your bleach blonde hair," Emily said. "And I'll have help."

"Show up here again, and you will be arrested for trespassing," Sonja said.

Ginger laughed. "You can't do that. My father will sue you for harassment and assault!"

Fran, Sonja, and Ellie smiled. Then all three of them pulled out their badges.

"NCIS, sweetheart. That means federal agents, and that means these badges say we can," Ellie said sweetly.

"And my dad is FBI, and Uncle Gibbs is also NCIS," Emily said.

"Wanna guess how many more federal agents there are here?" Sonja asked softly. "I hear there's a real State Trooper around here somewhere."

"This is a private function. Get out. _Now_ ," Emily growled, her hands coming up, ready to grab Ginger by her perfectly coiffed locks and drag her out.

Ginger gulped nervously, already knowing this was one fight she couldn't win. She left, escorted by the four women, but she fired off a parting shot as she did.

"Leo will never love that freak the way he loved me! He'll come back to me, you'll see!"

"Get!" Emily yelled, ready to attack.

Ginger quickly drove off in her cute little red Mustang convertible, letting them see her license plate, which read QUEEN B.

"Queen Bitch is right," Emily growled. "How dare she! Dabi is a hundred times better than she is, and Leo loves _her!_ "

"He does," Ellie said. "Nice catch, by the way."

Emily grunted. "That's got to be the worst Supergirl costume I've ever seen. If you're going to crash a party, at least look like you belong!"

"Gives new meaning to the word 'skanky'," Fran said.

"I hear ya. Speaking of party, let's head back to ours before all the ice cream is gone," Sonja said, heading back to the mansion. "Do you know if Dabi's going to throw the bouquet?"

Emily shook her head. "No. She's going to give it to her mom."

"Where's her mom?" Sonja asked.

"Next to the Memory Chair," Ellie explained.

"Amanda was killed by a drunk driver when Dabi was about eleven," Fran explained. "She had wanted a baby, chose Gibbs, and then got too scared to tell him because she was afraid he would take Dabi away. Finally got up enough nerve to tell him, but before she could mail the letter, the drunk asshole got there first. I found the letter behind the dresser about two years ago, after Dabi and Gibbs found each other."

"Da-ahm," Sonja said. "So how'd Dabi and Gibbs meet?"

"Abby and a dead Navy officer," Ellie said. "It's a long story."

"We got time," Sonja said.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

It was Saturday and Gibbs was working on a case when Dabi showed up.

"Hi Dad," she said, accepting his kiss to her temple.

"Hi sweetheart," he said absently as she stole his chair. "How's everything going?"

"Oh good, good. Bakery's doing nicely, and we're starting to gear up for Christmas and Chanukah," Dabi said calmly. "Uncle Ed is out of jail now that Aunt Tia's finally forgiven him for that Thanksgiving fiasco. Hi, Director," she said as Vance passed the desk.

"Dabi," Vance said.

"Oh, and Dad?" Dabi said as her father headed for the elevator to visit Ducky about something. He waved his hand in acknowledgement. "I'm pregnant. Baby's due in May."

Gibbs waved his hand in acknowledgement again and disappeared into the elevator.

Vance looked at Dabi with a raised eyebrow. "He took that well."

" _WHAT?!_ " Gibbs suddenly yelled from the elevator, causing several people to start.

"Took him long enough," Tony muttered, quickly signing for a confused Dabi, just as Gibbs shot out of the elevator and headed for Dabi, who laughed, along with Vance, Tim, and Ellie.

"Slowest reaction time ever," Tim quipped. "Boss is slowing down."

Dabi grinned when Gibbs planted his hands on his desk, leaned forward, and looked at her. "Say that again!" he demanded.

"I'm pregnant. According to Abby, who did the blood test, I'm due in May," Dabi said, crossing her ankle over her knee and folding her hands across her stomach.

"You're serious," Gibbs said.

"As a heart attack," Dabi said. "I even know exactly where and when the little conception occurred." At Gibbs' raised eyebrows, she grinned again. "It wasn't just the water that got hot in Tony's bathroom when Leo and I spent the night."

Gibbs straightened up as he got what Dabi was saying. Then he grinned. "Oh."

"Great. Now I have to bleach my brain," Tony mumbled.

"Does Leo know?" Gibbs asked.

"I'm surprised you didn't hear him yelling a few minutes ago. Oh, and Nana is apparently bawling her eyes out," Dabi said.

"Tell him to load up on the ginger ale and soda crackers," Vance advised.

"Leo's already threatened to cut into my morning coffee," Dabi said. "I asked him if he'd like to go to work with a limp and singing soprano."

"Ooh," Tony said, wincing.

"I just got a message from him saying he'll leave my coffee alone," Dabi said.

"Smart man," Ellie said, nodding.

"Oh, he values his nuts, especially if he ever wants to get laid again," Dabi said, smiling wider. She saw Vance and Tim laugh.

"We're going wood shopping again tomorrow," Gibbs said. "And I need to draw up plans for a cradle."

"And we need to plan a baby shower," Tim said.

 _Two months later:_

Ducky glanced up from cleaning his autopsy tools, when he heard the doors hiss open. Expecting to see Gibbs, he was surprised to see Dabi instead. Then he realized something; she was pale, and her eyes were wide, like she was still having trouble comprehending something.

"My dear, what on earth is wrong?" Ducky asked. But Dabi just stared at him. "Mister Palmer, kindly grab Dabi a chair before the poor girl falls down," Ducky said, heading for the back room, stripping off his bloody gloves as he did, to start a pot of water for tea. "The tools can wait."

When he came back, Dabi was seated in one of the chairs, but her complexion hadn't changed. She looked up when he came into view, and silently handed him a small photograph of an ultrasound, her hand shaking like a leaf in a tornado.

Curious, Ducky studied the image, with Palmer looking on. Then his eyebrows shot up and he checked again.

"Two sets of feet... two spinal columns... in perfect shape, too... two heads... oh my..."

Palmer smiled widely, cluing in rapidly. "You've got twins," he said.

"Ducky... Ducky, what do I do?" Dabi said, breathing hard. "It's bad enough that I'm pregnant, and trying to run a business at the same time, but twins? Twins?! Ducky, what the bloody hell do I do? How the hell can I raise twins?!" she finished off yelling, clearly on the verge of tears.

Ducky handed Palmer the photograph and gently put his arms around the young woman he had come to regard as his godchild, next to Victoria. "What you do is double up on everything, including the love. It's the fact that you're afraid tells me you'll be just fine, my dear, just fine." He glanced at Palmer, who was still wearing a wide grin. "Call Jethro and Abby. Tell them to get down here, fast." He looked back at Dabi. "In the meantime, my dear, I think a cup of tea is in order."

She reached into her purse and pulled out CD with the logo of a medical imaging company on it, and handed it to him. "The techie made a copy of the ultrasound, including a video."

"They're on their way," Palmer said, watching as Ducky inserted the disk into the computer and accessed the files. "I'll get the tea."

"Thanks, Jimmy," Dabi said, watching as her friend, the closest person she had to a favourite uncle, next to Tobias Fornell. "What do you see, Ducky?"

"Twins, definitely. These children are sharing the same placenta but not the same amniotic sac." Then he saw something. "Oh my. My dear, these are monozygotic monochorionic-diamniotic twin boys."

"Which means what?" Dabi asked, accepting the cup of tea Palmer handed her, and reading the words Ducky wrote down.

"Dabi!" Gibbs yelled, charging into the morgue, Tim, Tony, and Ellie right behind him. He grabbed his daughter in a tight hug when he saw her. "What's going on? Are you okay?" he demanded.

"Other than really, really scared, I'm okay," Dabi said. "Ducky?"

"Dabi had her ultrasound today, Jethro, and it turns out she is indeed twenty-four weeks along," Ducky said, freezing on an image on the computer. "She is also carrying identical twin boys who are sharing the same placenta but not the same amniotic sac."

"Dabi!" Abby cried, dashing into the morgue. "What's going on? What's going on?"

"Twins, Abs. Identical twin boys," Dabi said, suddenly feeling very tired. She glanced at her father, who was staring at her, and jabbed a finger at him. "If you start laughing, I swear I will get one of Ducky's scalpels and use it on you! On second thought, no; I'll use it on my husband," she growled. "Him and that bloody shower session."

Gibbs started laughing, and pulled Dabi into a tight hug.

"I'm so damn scared," she mumbled.

"Does Leo know?" Gibbs asked.

"Oh he knows, all right," Dabi said grimly. "He looked at the screen, looked at me, looked at the screen again, and dropped like a rock."

"He fainted," Gibbs said, trying to understand.

"He fainted," Dabi confirmed. "Eyes rolled up, knee buckle, the works. Made the tech freak out. It was hilarious. Then when he came to, he looked at me, looked at the tech and asked the poor lady if I really was pregnant with twins. The woman said yes, and he did his football victory dance."

"Football victory dance?" Ellie asked, confused.

Abby pulled out her cellphone and quickly found a video. Then she transferred it to the plasma and they all watched as Leo, dressed in sweats and a football jersey, danced around the living room, whooping.

"That was during the season playoffs in February," Abby said.

"And he did that in the exam room?" Gibbs asked, nodding.

"Up and down the hallway," Dabi said, nodding, "which scared Nana and Gram, of course. But once they found out, the tech said they started yelling and dancing."

"Well, this certainly explains why you were getting so big so fast," Abby said, giving her friend a hug.

"Yeah. It means she's going to be waddling twice as fast!" Tony cackled.

"So are you, if you get close enough," Dabi threatened.

"My dear, just one question," Ducky said.

"Hmm?" Dabi asked.

"Of all the people you know, why did you come to me?"

"Because I wanted verification," Dabi admitted. "I needed someone who had a medical degree to tell me I wasn't seeing things, that I really am pregnant with twins, and that it's okay to be scared."

"It's perfectly normal to be scared," Ducky soothed. "So far, I'm not seeing anything abnormal with your babies, and the length suggests they are growing at the expected rate. But it also means you are going to have to take care of yourself that much more, because now you know it's not just you plus one; it's you plus two."

"And one baby, or two babies, they're still going to be very loved," Gibbs soothed.

Dabi sighed heavily. Then she felt her phone vibrate and she took it out. Her brow furrowed as she read the message that was from one of her staff. "Who the heck is Ginger Pickering? And why did Owen go ballistic when he found out?" She glanced up and saw the looks on her family's faces, which were a lot of _uh-oh_ 's and _oh hell_ 's. "What's going on?"

"Did Leo ever tell you about his ex-girlfriend?" Abby asked tentatively.

"Blonde, brainless, bimbo?" Dabi asked. "Tried to come on to him even though he told her he was getting married?"

"Her name's Ginger Pickering," Ellie said. "She showed up at the wedding in a really skimpy Supergirl costume, but Emily, Fran, Sophia, and I kinda got to her before she could get to Leo."

"I see," Dabi said.

"She wants him back and is firmly convinced that Leo only married you for either the business, the sex, or the sympathy," Tim admitted.

"Which explains the prenup he and I signed," Dabi said. "He said it was to protect me and any future children."

"It's also the bird at Ginger," Tony said. "The boy does love you, and he is not the slightest bit interested in Ginger."

"Said he would have called her a Barbie, but that would have been an insult to the doll," Ellie admitted.

Dabi laughed. "Yeah, he does have a bit of a mouth on him when he's mad about something."

"I wouldn't worry about Ginger," Palmer said. "From the sounds of it, there is absolutely no chance of Ginger ever being able to get her claws into him, not with the way he was doing that victory dance."

"That was embarrassing," Dabi admitted.

"Yeah, we guys can get a little silly when we find out these things," Gibbs said, smirking. "Just wait until the twins are born. Then you'll see silly."

"Oh joy," Dabi grumbled.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Dabi was six months pregnant, and because of the twins, she wasn't walking so much as she was waddling.

So far, the pregnancy was proceeding normally, with the only concerns being Dabi's blood pressure.

Then the day came that Dabi's belly made reaching the bakery counter next to impossible.

"So basically I'm on mat leave until further notice," Dabi said, swinging herself in Abby's chair.

"Is the twins' room done?" Abby asked.

"Just got to put the bassinet together."

"So you're going to keep them together as much as possible?"

"Yeah, until they're older, and then we'll go from there." Dabi groaned softly as she tried to get comfortable in the chair. Right now she was wearing an oversized USMC t-shirt, leggings, and a denim and sherpa jacket; she looked nice, but she still felt like an oversized whale. "I feel huge," she groaned. "The twins are kicking the hell out of me, and it feels like I have to pee every ten minutes."

Abby smiled in sympathy at her. "You're just about in the home stretch. You'll be okay. How's everyone else doing?"

"All good. Leo's settling into his new job, Sara's giving Owen and Mary a run for their money, oh and Ginger was arrested for trespassing and breaking her restraining order," Dabi said.

Abby's eyes went wide. "Seriously?"

"Seriously. She showed up at the bakery while I was out with Nana at a doctor's appointment, and Goldie, one of my favourite Fronts, recognized the bimbo. She played nice while another girl called the cops. Busted!"

Abby laughed. "Nice!"

"And the best part is, it was caught on camera. Last I heard, the judge wasn't too happy with her. She's currently facing a five thousand dollar fine, and she was told that if it happens again, she will face jail time."

"Even better. What did Leo say?"

"He was pissed to the point he reached out to Ginger's parents. Told them everything, even showed them a couple of pictures of me and the belly. They were not happy about the situation and promised him they would do what they could to help curb Ginger's behaviour."

"Hopefully that works," Abby said.

"Apparently Momma got pretty upset with Ginger when she found out I was pregnant with twins. She said Ginger's behaviour was the last thing either of us needed."

"She's got that right."

"So hopefully she'll be out of our hair for a bit. In the meantime, I need a favour."

"Okay."

"Would you be willing to put together an emergency birth kit, and keep it either here or in the crime scene truck?"

Abby grinned. "You don't trust the twins, do you?"

"Not in the slightest. I keep having nightmares about giving birth in the elevator or some such place."

"Oh no," Abby said, laughing. "Okay, if it makes you feel safer, we will put together an emergency birth kit, and we will put it in the crime scene truck. We'll even talk to Ducky and find out what he suggests."

"Thanks," Dabi said, watching as her friend went to her computer and started looking up what they would need for an emergency birth kit. She groaned softly as one of the twins kicked down. "Be right back. I just got kicked in the bladder again."

Abby laughed.

In the end, with a bit of help, they put together a kit. Two baby blankets and caps of neutral colours in case the ultrasound was wrong, two umbilical cord clamps that would arrive in the next few days via courier, a blanket for Dabi, gloves, bottled water, the works.

"You feel better now?" Gibbs asked later, seeing the labeled bin that Palmer was putting in the truck. He had been told of what was going on, and privately thought it was a good idea.

"A bit. Maybe I'm just being paranoid," Dabi admitted, "but I can't shake the feeling that something's going to happen. And the doc's worried about my blood pressure, so I'm doing everything I can to try and keep my stress level down, which includes doing everything I can think of to reassure myself that things will be okay."

"Everything will be okay," he said, giving her a hug.

"Hope so. Wanna go fish shopping later this week?"

"Fish shopping?" he asked, confused.

"Fish shopping. Remember that big aquarium in the living room? According to the fancy schmancy tests, the tank is ready for company beyond Bobby the Betta, so I can now add more fish, which means I can watch the cats clobber themselves even more."

Gibbs laughed. "Good stress reliever there."

"Exactly."

"What are you going to put in there?"

"I have no clue. That's what you're there for."

"Me? Why me? It's your tank!"

"And your darn bright idea!"

"I suggested a tank, I didn't say get the biggest one the store had! I was taking about a nice little five gallon or something for a betta or something like that!" Gibbs protested. "It's not my fault Leo liked the idea so much!" Leo had liked the idea a lot, having always wanted to get a tank as a kid. The end result was a fifty-five gallon aquarium tank that was now sitting in the living room with a pretty white and red male betta known as Bobby.

"You two are spending way too much time together. You're getting to be a bad influence on each other," Dabi gripped. Gibbs laughed.

A month later, Ginger made a bad mistake.

Angry at the recent charges of harassment and trespassing, she tried to confront Dabi and Sharee, who had been out shopping. An hour later, Gibbs was down at the Falls Church police station, quietly having a word with Detective Paul Dockry, an old associate from a prior case and the son of a former Marine buddy of Gibbs.

"So let me get this straight; your daughter, Dabi, is seven months pregnant with twins, and she decides to punch out a woman because the woman threw her drink at your mother-in-law, who also happens to be her grandmother," Dockry said, eyes a bit wide.

"Yes. Ginger Pickering has already been arrested several times for harassment and trespassing, and has a restraining order against Dabi, her husband, Leo, the bakery, and my house," Gibbs said, omitting the detail that he never married Dabi's mother. "She was ordered to stay away from them and to have no contact whatsoever with any member of the family or bakery staff."

"I see. What's her problem?"

Gibbs smirked. "She's Leo's ex-girlfriend, and Leo dumped her about a month before he met Dabi. She tried to get back with him, and he told her no."

"I'm guessing that's the polite version?"

"Yes."

"So a dumped ex-girlfriend with a very large restraining order, and multiple arrests and violations, verses a very pissed off, very pregnant wife, who happens to be the daughter of a former Marine. I'm guessing you taught her a few things?" Dockry asked.

"Oh yeah. And Leo taught her kickboxing, and she's friends with a couple of Navy SEAL guys. Plus, she owns a bakery, and according to that box over there, there's a couple of people, here, who are customers there."

Dockry glanced at the white bakery box on a nearby desk. _Kranz Bakery_ was scrolled across the top. He sighed heavily. "Do you want me to get the charges dropped?"

"I didn't say that. I just thought you might want to know the circumstances behind the punch, preferably before Dabi's lawyer gets here, and he's a former JAG admiral."

"How the hell did she manage that?" Dockry demanded incredulously. Gibbs just smirked at him. "Never mind. I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you."

An hour later, Dabi was walking out of the police station carrying two police teddy bears, escorted by Dockry, who was watching her nervously.

"She's not going to give birth right here," Gibbs said sarcastically.

"Oh I know," Dockry said. "But one of the ladies in Processing got a bit rowdy and Black Widow, here, she may be pregnant, but she's got moves that made the guys jealous."

Gibbs signed to Dabi, repeating what the Homicide detective was saying. She smirked.

"Pressure points are a bitch. What's going to happen to Ginger?" she asked.

"Oh, she's got problems, trust me," Dockry said, grinning. "Right now, as it stands, she's looking at time. It might not be a lot, but it might be enough to get her attention."

"Good," Dabi said. "Can I go home now? My back is killing me and the twins are practicing their kickboxing. And I need coffee. A large, triple triple with caramel." Then she paused. "And a triple cheeseburger."

"Lady, with the stunt you just pulled, I will buy you whatever the heck you want," Dockry said.

"Great! Can we start with a heating pad for my back?" Dabi asked hopefully.

Later, Gibbs had Vance staring at him in shock as he relayed what had happened.

"She punched out Ginger Pickering?" Vance repeated.

"According to the security guard who saw what happened, it was a beautiful punch, and it was deserved. It seems Sharee's got quite the mouth on her and she said a few choice words to Ginger, who responded by throwing her soda at Sharee. That was when Dabi punched her; laid her flat out on the food court floor. Ginger tried to have her charged with assault, but A.J. and Detective Dockry got the charge dropped when the circumstances were explained."

"And Ginger?"

"She's looking at time. The last time was her last warning, and according to A.J., Mom and Dad aren't helping her out of this one."

Vance sighed. "Remind me not to piss your daughter off, pregnant or not."

Gibbs smirked. "Yeah, that's what McGarrett found out when Millie punched out one of Governor Denning's former aids." Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett and his wife, Millie, were part of the Five-0 Task Force in Honolulu, Hawaii, and had become friends with Gibbs and his team after McGarrett and his team had helped Gibbs rescue Dabi when she'd been kidnapped by a dangerous gun runner. Later, McGarrett had chased after a former NCIS agent who had manipulated others into doing his dirty work for him, while raking in several million dollars in dirty dealings. They had stayed in touch with Dabi, and had been at Dabi and Leo's wedding via video conference.

"Oh no," Vance groaned.

"According to the email Dabi got, it seems Millie was about four months along, the guy got mouthy, made some comment about the little woman being at home where she belonged, instead of carrying around a gun and a badge, she was already having a rough day, she lost her tempter, and she swung," Gibbs said. "The guy was fired shortly afterwards."

"Yup, that sounds like something even Jackie would have done," Vance said, referring to his wife, who had been caught in a deadly crossfire that had also taken the life of former Mossad director Eli David. "She good, though?"

"Oh, she's fine, she's fine. Just tired and sore. You know how it is," Gibbs said.

"Yeah, I do, except she's carrying two, not one."

"It'll be over soon."

"That it will. What's the status of DiNozzo?" Vance asked, changing subjects.

"He's doing what he can to help Senior find that lady, and Abby's running her prints. Senior doesn't know that I know," Gibbs said.

"And that case with the wife and mistress? Where are you with that?"

"Getting a headache. I'll keep you posted," Gibbs said. Time to get back to work.

Time passed. DiNozzo discovered he had been impersonated by three other men, courtesy of a former date that he'd unintentionally neglected, Leah Ramsey, who turned out to be much more than she appeared to be, especially when one fake Tony DiNozzo turned up dead.

Dabi was at week 34 with the twins and she was restless. She was also bored and a bit lonely. Leo was at work, the bakery was busy, Abby was in court, and Gibbs was on a ship in Norfolk with Ellie. Even Tony and Tim were off somewhere.

Ducky looked up when the doors hissed open, and he smiled when he saw who it was. "Looking for company, my dear?" he asked.

Dabi smiled. "Do you mind?"

"Not in the slightest. I'm just doing some rather boring old paperwork. Nothing that can't wait, and your company is always welcome," he said, getting up and fetching her a chair. "Is it raining out there?"

"It was starting to when I came in. Long range forecast said we might get stormed on," Dabi said, taking off her rain-splattered jacket. As she did, she felt her phone vibrate. Taking it out, she glanced at it; it was a notification from the Weather Alert app. "And we have a thunderstorm warning. First major thunderstorm of the year." Her brow furrowed in concern. "Will Dad be okay?"

Ducky smiled at her reassuringly. "Those navy ships are designed to handle thunderstorms; I'm sure he'll be just fine." While he went to start their customary pot of tea, Dabi sent Gibbs a message, not knowing if he would get it or not, but hoping for the best.

 _Batten down the hatches. Major thunderstorm warning here._

A moment later, she got a reply.

 _Hatches battened. We're heading out to ride out the storm, but the captain says we should be okay. You okay?_

 _I'm with Ducky. We're good._

 _Good. Love you._

 _Lu2_

Dabi looked up when Ducky appeared in her line of sight. "He said the captain is taking the ship out to ride out the storm but that they should be okay."

"Good. Good. And here you go, my dear," he said, handing her a cup of tea.

"Where's Jimmy?"

"Ah, Mr. Palmer had a pediatric appointment for Victoria, and Breena has her hands tied with multiple embalmings today, I'm afraid. Such are the joys of parenthood."

And for the next hour, they chatted comfortably, as was their custom these days. Dabi even made use of the heating pad for her lower back, which was bothering her particularly bad that day, a heating pad that Ducky had put in his desk weeks ago, when Dabi had started visiting.

Then it happened.

Dabi didn't hear the explosion or the crashing noise, but she did see the table rattle and the lights flicker. "Ducky?" Then the lights went out, leaving them in complete darkness. "Ducky?" she cried out, reaching out for where she knew he'd been sitting. She felt his hand grip her and she reached for her cellphone. Thumbing it on, she shined the light at Ducky, who was looking very concerned. "Shouldn't the back-up generators have kicked in by now?" she asked. Just as she said that, the emergency lights in the morgue kicked in, providing a dim glow. Ducky held up his hand and let her go for a moment, heading for the storage room. He was back a moment later, carrying two large battery-operated lanterns. The lanterns cast a warm glow around the morgue. "What just happened?"

"I'm not quite sure, but from the sounds of it, I'd say either a lightning strike blew a transformer, or we had a power grid explosion, but since the back-up generators are working, we should be okay," Ducky soothed. "However, for safety reasons, I think we'd best go upstairs."

Dabi nodded and stood up, but froze when she felt something wet gush down her legs, soaking her jeans.

"Umm, Ducky?" Dabi said nervously, feeling a sudden pain lance through her back.

Ducky glanced back at her and his eyes went wide when he saw the problem. He quickly went to his desk and got a pH strip test kit. A quick test of the fluid turned the strip dark blue, indicating a high pH. "Oh dear," he said.

"Ducky, this is a really bad time," Dabi said, eyes wide.

"With babies, there is no such thing as a bad time," Ducky said. "They come when they come. How far along are you?"

"About thirty-four we-ow!" Dabi yelped, holding her back as a sudden surge of pain lanced through her.

"Have you been feeling this long?"

"On and off all day. And I've been restless," Dabi admitted, trying not to panic.

"All right. Do you know where the scrubs are?" Dabi nodded. "Do you feel comfortable changing into a pair?" Dabi nodded and headed for the storage room, where she knew the scrubs were kept. Meanwhile, Ducky called Base Security to see if it was safe for them to travel. He was shaking his head when Dabi came out. "What's wrong?" she asked, when he ended the call.

"It was a transformer that was hit, and we have a downed line. Unfortunately, it's not safe to travel right now, and the nearest hospital that might be able to handle our current situation is about half an hour from here," Ducky said.

Dabi opened her mouth to say something but nearly hit the floor when another surge of pain went through her. She cried out and Ducky went over to her, doing what he could to help. "Ducky, I think we have a problem," she whimpered when the pain finally let up.

"So it would seem, my dear," Ducky said. "So it would seem."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"What do we do?" Dabi begged, trying not to panic.

"I will get the emergency birth kit from the truck, and you try and relax. Walk, if you feel it helps," Ducky said. "Whether we like it or not, my dear, your children are coming, and we need to prepare. Can you reach Leonard?"

Dabi nodded. She grabbed her phone from the desk and quickly fired off a message. "At NCIS with Ducky. Transformer hit by lightning, line down, not safe to travel. Water broke," she mumbled as she typed. She hit _Send_ and watched as the message went through, then groaned as another contraction grabbed her.

"Breathe," Ducky coaxed, holding on to her.

"I thought labor was supposed to go slowly and build up," Dabi groaned, breathing the way Ducky was showing her.

"Not always. I suspect your little ones are a bit impatient, and if that is the case, then we will adapt accordingly," Ducky soothed. "You'll be just fine."

"Ducky!" Palmer called from the loading bay.

"Good heavens!" Ducky exclaimed as a dripping Jimmy Palmer entered the morgue, accompanied by his daughter, Victoria. "What are you doing here? I thought Base Security said it was too dangerous to travel right now because of the downed transformer."

"I was already on base when that happened," Palmer said. "We just saw the doctor and thought we'd stop by here. What's wrong, Dabi?" he asked, noticing her clothing.

"The twins are coming, Mister Palmer," Ducky said. "We need the emergency birth kit."

Palmer's eyes went wide, before he crouched down in front of his daughter. "Sweetheart, I need you to stay here with Ducky, okay? Daddy will be right back." Victoria nodded and went over to Ducky, wrapping her arms around his legs.

"Hi Ducky!" she said happily, not seeing her father tear out of the morgue.

Dabi's phone buzzed, signalling an incoming message. "Leo says he's on his way. If he has to swim, he'll be here," she read, before dropping her phone as a contraction hit. "Oh God, I'm scared," she whimpered once the pain let up.

Palmer appeared in time to hear the comment. Putting the heavy-duty storage tote on a nearby table, he went over to her and started rubbing her lower back, the way he used to when Breena had been in labour.

"It'll be okay," he soothed. "We're not going to let you go through this alone, and you're in one of the safest places in this building right now. No matter what happens, you're not going through this alone." Dabi nodded. "Now, I'm going to take Victoria upstairs and we're going to see what we can find in the way of munchies and who else might be in the building. I'm also going to see if I can find that futon Abby keeps in her office."

"Good idea, Mister Palmer. In the mean time, you and I, my dear, will walk," Ducky said. "And when he gets back, I will check your cervix. That should give us more of an idea of what is going on."

"Great. My dignity just got shot out the torpedo bay," Dabi grumbled, causing the two men to laugh.

They walked. Dabi moaned and left nail marks in Ducky's shoulders with each new contraction. They walked some more. And then Palmer showed back up with some more flashlights and a blanket.

"Victoria and I ran into Director Vance," Palmer explained. "He was doing the same thing we were; checking to see who else was in the building and making sure the downed line wasn't going to cause future problems. He said the emergency generator is working okay and we should be okay for a while, but the computers aren't going to be much use for a bit because the generators use limited power. He offered to take care of Victoria when I explained the situation."

"Excellent. Dabi, I'm sorry to say this, but..." Ducky said.

"Right. Hop up on the table and let you see what's going on down there," Dabi said. "This is embarrassing."

Both men looked away while Dabi dropped both her pants and her panties and wrapped a towel around her waist. Then they helped her up on to one of the autopsy tables and made her as comfortable as they could. For her sake, Ducky made the examination as quickly as possible, with Palmer staying near Dabi's head.

"You've dilated quite a bit," Ducky said, once he was done. "I'm no specialist in the area of birthing, but I'd say we're getting there."

Dabi didn't say anything, she just doubled over and cried out as another contraction hit her. Palmer looked at Ducky worriedly. Once the contraction eased off, Dabi slid off the table. "Walk. Now," she huffed.

They walked. And Dabi left bruises in Palmer's shoulders. And they walked. And Dabi got to know the floor of the morgue very well, despite the dimness of the lights. And both Ducky and Palmer learned a few Hebrew cuss words. Then she said the very words that had both men scrambling.

"Guys, I have to push."

"How do you want to do it?" Ducky asked.

"I don't want to lie down, that's for damn sure," Dabi panted. "And I want my damn shirt off; I'm hot."

"Do you feel like squatting?" Palmer asked. "Sometimes that helps, and you can rest between contractions."

Dabi nodded. "Yeah, yeah, let's do that. Fast."

A chair ended up being pushed against a nearby wall, with Palmer in the chair and Dabi between his legs, resting on his thighs. Ducky sat in front of her, towels and tools at the ready. As she pushed, she screamed.

"That's it, that's it," Ducky coaxed, seeing the baby's head starting to crown.

"Where the hell is Leo?" Dabi yelled between contractions.

What she didn't know was that Leo and another Marine were traveling through the city as fast as the heavy-duty cargo truck could go. Gunnery Sergeant Kevin Balfour had lost most of his left leg and arm in an explosion, but he could still drive with the best of them, and this thunderstorm? That was nothing, man, not compared to the sandstorm he once drove through in Afghanistan.

Fortunately, the guard at the gate was very understanding of the situation, having been alerted earlier by Ducky about the problem, and let them through quickly.

They arrived at the loading bay area of NCIS and the second Balfour tuned off the truck was the second Leo tore out of the truck and ran inside.

As he burst into the morgue, with Balfour hot on his heels, it was in time to hear a baby crying. Both Palmer and Ducky looked up, Ducky sparing them only a glance.

"Damned if that ain't music to my ears," Balfour said.

"Your shirt, Leonard, now!" Ducky snapped as he worked to clear the baby's lungs.

Stunned, Leo could only stare. Then Balfour punched him in the shoulder. "Shirt, man, now! Your kid's here!"

"Shirt. Right. Right," Leo said, scrambling to yank off his jacket and shirt. He hurried over and Ducky took his shirt, quickly wrapping the newborn in it, before handing him the child.

"About time you got here, you sonovabitch!" Dabi snarled, sweat pouring down her face. Leo grinned at her, and then looked at his son. "Is he okay?" she asked as he sat down beside them, carefully placing the baby against his bare chest.

"He's perfect," Leo said in wonder.

Before Dabi could say anything else, she yelped. "Round two!"

And the second baby came, and this time Balfour donated his shirt. And just like his brother, he yelled.

Dabi collapsed, nearly passing out from exhaustion, and sobbing with relief, leaving the men scrambling.

"She's all right," Ducky said, checking her pulse. "The labour came hard and fast, and she had no real time to prepare." Belfour cradled Baby Two against his bare chest, having sat down on the other side of the group.

"We need to let Dad know," Dabi breathed, not opening her eyes.

Ducky gently tapped her arm, causing her to open her eyes and look at him. He smiled. "We will let everyone know. But first, let's say hello to everyone." And Belfour carefully handed her Baby Two, watching as she placed him against her chest.

"Hi there," she said softly, eyes filled with wonder.

"They're perfect," Leo said, smiling, bringing Baby One closer so Dabi could see him.

As the couple looked at their children, Ducky worked to extract the placenta, placing it in a metal bowl for now.

Then he, Palmer, and Belfour backed off, letting them have their moment.

 _Out on the ocean:_

The thunder rolled and the ship tossed as it rode out the storm. Gibbs watched from a porthole, unable to shake the feeling that something was going on.

Then Ellie called him over to the laptop.

"It's Ducky," she said. "And he says he has something important to show you."

"What's up, Duckman?" Gibbs asked, seeing the medical examiner on the computer screen.

" _I don't care how you do it, Jethro, but you need to get home fast_ ," Ducky said, smiling.

"Why? Is everything okay? Is Dabi okay?" Gibbs asked.

" _They all are_ ," Ducky said, moving the computer camera so he could see behind him. " _Say hello to your grandsons, Jethro. The boys were in a bit of a hurry, it seems_."

And Gibbs found himself sitting down rather abruptly as two newborn baby boys came into view, cradled protectively against their parents chests, both with wet red hair.

"Oh my god," Ellie squealed. "They're adorable!" She pulled out her phone and quickly fired off a message to Abby, Tony, and Tim.

" _Meet Donald Kevin and Jethro Daniel Benson_ ," Leo said. " _Donny came first, and J.D. followed about four minutes later_."

"I don't care how, but I swear I will be back as fast as I can," Gibbs swore. "Does Sharee know?"

" _According to Owen, she bawling and dancing like a maniac_ ," Leo said. " _And she's chain mailing the call. I'll send you the same pictures I sent her_."

"Please do," Gibbs said. "Is Dabi okay?"

" _She's worn out and sore, but she's okay_ ," Ducky promised. " _As soon as it's safe for an ambulance to come here, we will take them to the hospital to be checked over. I wouldn't be surprised if the boys spend a day or two in the hospital, because of how early they are, but that would be more of a precaution than anything else_."

"Yeah, yeah that makes sense," Gibbs said. His phone chirped, signalling an incoming message. It was pictures of the twins, side by side. Somehow or another, those pictures were going on his wall and on his desk. And then he was going to pester the captain to get him back to shore as fast as possible.

Several hours later, Gibbs was at a hospital in Washington, D.C., and he was staring down at two baby boys in an incubator in NICU. A nurse came up to him.

"Yours?" she asked.

"My grandsons," he said, holding up his badge. "Which one's which?"

The nurse checked the card on the bassinet and smiled. "Donald is the one with the green hat, and Jethro is the one with the yellow hat."

"Are they going to be okay?" Gibbs asked, reaching inside to stroke Donald's face.

"They're a little bit early, and they're having a bit of trouble feeding, hence the tubes, but they'll be fine," the nurse assured him. "If all goes well, they should be able to go home in a few days." She smiled at him. "Would you like to hold them?"

"Is it safe?"

"Very."

And that was how Gibbs wound up in a chair, with two babies against him. He looked up and saw a woman with red hair watching them. It was Amanda.

"You're supposed to be here," he said, sadness filling him.

" _I am here; I've always been here_ ," she said. " _We all are_." She smiled down at the twins. " _I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner_."

"It is what it is. I'm just glad I got a chance to know her, to know them."

"Dad?" Dabi said softly. Gibbs looked up and saw his daughter looking at them. "Who are you talking to?"

"Just memories," he said.

"Dad, do you, do you sometimes see people who aren't here anymore?" she asked hesitantly.

"What do you mean?"

"Like Mom?" She bit her lip, moving closer carefully. "I thought I saw Mom when I was in labor. I thought I saw her in the shadows. Maybe it was my imagination, but I wanted her there desperately."

"Maybe she was. Maybe they're always here, like memories."

"Like Mike Franks?"

"Like Mike, like Daniel, like everyone we've ever loved, cared about, and lost. They're with us, and for some of us, they're our ghosts."

Dabi nodded, reaching out to stroke J.D.'s face. "Things are changing again. Owen said Mary's pregnant, and _Kwik Kuts_ just left their space."

"You're going to be expanding again." Dabi nodded. "You're going to need to hire another manager."

"We're looking into it already. If this keeps up, we may wind up owning the whole freaking building."

"If this keeps up, you're going to need to think about buying a house, and that's an adventure in itself." He smiled reassuringly when he saw the worried look on her face. "You'll be fine. All of you."

And Dabi laid her head on Gibbs' shoulder.

And Leo quietly snapped a picture.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Special Agent Nicholas "Nick" Torres looked around curiously as Gibbs pulled the MCRT truck into the back of an alleyway, then parked behind a building that loudly proclaimed it to be _Kranz Bakery_.

"Got a case of the munchies?" Agent Alexandra "Alex" Quinn asked, also curious.

"Need to check on my daughter," Gibbs said, getting out of the truck.

"Daughter?" Quinn repeated, eyebrows going up. _Since when?_

Ellie and Tim were evidently familiar with the bakery and Gibbs' daughter, because they followed him inside the bustling bakery without hesitation.

"Is Dabi okay?" Tim asked.

"The twins got their vaccination shots yesterday and J.D. is being a pain in the butt," Gibbs said, watching with a smirk as Torres was ambushed by some of the younger female staff, who started flirting with him, causing a wide, charming smile to break out. Then a muscular man with a Thomas Magnum moustache called out to Gibbs.

"Hey Gibbs! Dabi says you're a bourbon man. Is that true?"

"It is," Gibbs said, heading for the man. "Whatcha got?"

"Bourbon cheesecake with whipped coffee topping and chocolate graham cracker crust," the man said, holding up a small tart. "Part of our grownup line we're trying."

"Like those scotch and chocolate meringue cookies you did last time?" Ellie asked hopefully, following Gibbs.

"Exactly like those," the man said, handing the team one each.

Quinn moaned as she bit into the treat. "I want ten of these," she said.

"I second that," Ellie said.

"Oh yeah," Tim said.

"Same," Torres said. "Just don't be cheap with the bourbon, and these will be fabulous," he continued, having managed to extract himself from his admirers.

"What he said," Gibbs said. "Where's Dabi?"

"In the office, propping her eyelids open with toothpicks," the man said. "Hey Sharee, the fed team says we got another hit!" he hollered at a plump woman with grey hair tucked in a bun and wearing an apron around her waist, who came over and accepted hugs from Tim, Ellie, and Gibbs.

"Good. I will let Owen know, and we'll add them to the production run on Sunday," Sharee said. "You are here to see Dabi?"

"Propping her eyelids open with toothpicks?" Gibbs repeated.

"I'm afraid so. Little Jethro has quite the temper, and he's been making his opinion of things known quite loudly," Sharee said, heading for the office. "Donald isn't quite so bad, but he's not happy."

"So give me the keys to the Ford, and give me the twins," Gibbs said. "We just closed a case. All that's left is the paperwork."

"And if you get a new case?" Sharee asked.

"Palmer, Ducky, Abby," Gibbs reminded her, opening the screen door to the office in time to scoop up a toddler girl with dark curls and denim romper, who squealed in delight.

"Giffy!" she said happily. She laughed when Gibbs blew a raspberry on her neck and tickled her tummy.

"Hey Gibbs," said a tall man in jeans and what looked like the bakery uniform shirt. He was seated at a desk and had a wireless headset in one ear. "I see you got ambushed again."

Gibbs chuckled. "Never a bad thing with Sara Beara. Owen, these are Agents Alex Quinn and Nick Torres. This is Owen Rivens, and his daughter, Sara, my goddaughter."

"Owen is part owner of the bakery," Ellie explained.

"Who's the other half?" Torres asked, watching as Quinn played peek-a-boo with Sara, who giggled.

"Dabi," Sharee said.

"Who's that?" Torres asked.

"My daughter," Gibbs said, pointing to a young woman with red hair who was emerging from behind another desk, cradling a baby boy with a shock of red hair, wearing a yellow footed sleeper. She looked exhausted, with her hair scraped back in a ponytail and dark circles under her eyes. Gibbs set Sara down and went over to her, taking the baby from her gently.

"Hi Dad," she said, putting a very stinky diaper in a nearby Diaper Genie.

"Hi. I'm on Grandpa Duty, and you're having a nap," he signed. "The twins are mine for a couple of hours."

Dabi stared at him tiredly. "Are you sure?" she said/signed.

Sharee gently took the younger woman by the shoulders and led her to a door. She opened it and shoved her out. "Go," she said, gesturing up. "Give Jethro the keys to the car, and get some rest. I will take care of the rest," she continued, signing at the same time.

Dabi nodded tiredly, reluctantly giving in, but then spotted the two new agents. "New toys, Dad?" she asked.

 _Toys?_ Quinn mouthed at Ellie, who smiled mischievously.

Gibbs smirked as Sharee picked up a second baby boy from a nearby playpen. That baby, in a green footed sleeper, also had a shock of red hair, and had begun fussing quietly.

"Nick Torres and Alex Quinn," Gibbs said, still signing. "I decided to keep 'em."

"The undercover and the instructor. Right. And from the looks on their faces, you have some explaining to do," Dabi said. "I don't have a jack to get their jaws up off the floor." She came back and gave each baby a kiss on their heads, a kiss on Gibbs' temple, and went upstairs. A moment later, a set of keys bounced through a framed hole in the ceiling, right where a giant cat tree was, in the corner of the office. Tim took the keys, and a short time later, Gibbs was leaving the bakery in a blue Ford Explorer, which was loaded with the twins and their gear. The rest of the team drove back in the truck.

"Story. Now," Quinn said.

"Dabi Benson. Gibbs' daughter by way of a relationship twenty years ago," Tim explained. "Amanda never told him because she was afraid he would take Dabi away, and by the time she finally got the courage to tell him, it was too late; she was hit by a drunk driver when Dabi was eleven."

"Sharee is Dabi's grandma through informal adoption. Amanda was working for _Kranz_ when she had Dabi, and Sharee and her husband, Daniel, took them both in," Ellie continued. "When Dabi was seven, she was hit with meningitis, which basically destroyed her hearing. When she was just shy of eighteen, she met Abby, and over the body of a dead Navy officer, whose murder Dabi was a witness to, Dabi met Gibbs."

"And because Dabi was a witness, and-or suspect, I'm betting Abby ran Dabi's DNA?" Quinn asked.

"You got it," Tim said. "Dabi is very much a part of Gibbs' life, and so are the boys. She's married to Leo Benson, who's a physical therapist for injured and disabled soldiers and vets, which is how Owen came into the picture. _Kranz_ has a work program for disabled military personnel who want to learn something outside of the military. Owen was a Logistics Specialist for the Navy when he was badly injured in the line of duty. Leo brought Owen in when Dabi was struggling, and the rest is history."

"How did Dabi wind up as part owner of the bakery?" Torres asked.

"Daniel died of a heart attack almost two years ago, in the office," Tim said. "He willed his half of the bakery to Dabi, and then Sharee retired. Owen came in as Office Manager, and Dabi eventually made him her business partner."

"And Sara?" Quinn asked. "I saw the family picture, and Sara looks nothing like Owen or his wife. In fact, she looks more like Nick."

"That is another long story," Tim said, glancing at Ellie and grinning.

A short time later, Torres had a problem. J.D., who had a set of lungs on him, had fallen asleep on Torres' chest when he'd picked up the baby when Gibbs had left his desk for a few minutes. Then the phone had rung, and five minutes into the conversation, the sound of baby snores had reached his ears.

Gibbs, who was back, looked at him, looked at J.D., and said, "Hope that chair is comfortable, because you're not going anywhere for a while."

Before Torres could say anything, a loud popping noise came from the general direction of J.D.'s bottom, followed by a rank odour. J.D. sighed contentedly and snuggled against Torres' chest.

"Does that include hazard pay as well?" Torres asked hopefully, trying not to throw up.

Gibbs just smirked, and headed for his desk. "Welcome to the team," he said.

The End


End file.
